"Emery?" Ashley was walking down the front stairs with something in her hand. She was wearing the same dress she went to school in and Emery shook her head, smiling at her. Ashley refused to wear anything but dresses.

Emery sat in her car and waited for Ashley to get in. The passenger door opened and Ashley slid in, smiling. "I brought you something." Ashley held her hand out for Emery to see the friendship bracelet in her palm.

"Oh, Ash, I love it." Emery leaned over and kissed Ashley's forehead, grabbing the bracelet. "Oh and look, it's your favorite colors. Tie it on me." She held her right wrist out for Ashley to secure the braided pink and teal bracelet.

"Are you mad at me?" Ashley's blonde curls bounced in her high ponytail as she tied. Emery couldn't help but see herself in Ashley's innocent face, those cheeks that were naturally pink and her blue eyes so full of life. That's what I used to look like.

"Of course not. Why?" Emery's eyes went back to her wrist where the bracelet peeked out of her long sleeves.

"Because you haven't been around at all lately. I haven't seen you in a week."

"Oh, Ash. I'm just hanging out with my friend. You know I love you."

"I know, I just..."

After a closer inspection, something in Ashley's eyes didn't seem right to Emery. She pulled the key out of the ignition and really looked at her sister. She appeared the same. Her eyes didn't mirror Emery's dead ones. Ashley traveled around with a glow. She was always talking, telling a story about something and making everyone love her. Her blue eyes were clear and happy. She was a good, smart girl and Emery felt lucky to be her sister.

"You want to talk?" Emery asked, glancing at the clock. Phil usually got home right after 7:00. It was 6:58.

"No, I just miss you is all." Ashley smiled again and this time it lit up her face.

That smile allowed Emery to sigh in relief. "If you ever need someone to talk to, Ash, you can tell me anything," Emery pressed a little. "You know that, right?"

"I know." Ashley nodded and then looked toward the house. "I'm glad you found someone you can talk to." With that, she opened the passenger door and walked back toward the house. She turned back and waved, but her smile looked sad. It's like Ashley knew her better than her mother. Her mother had never even asked Emery if she was okay, even when she'd seen her arm.

Emery exhaled audibly. She didn't know if she could leave Ashley. She knew she needed to go, to save herself, to leave this house, but she felt guilty. Maybe she could make sure Rachel would keep tabs on Ashley. The first time she acted differently, Emery would be back to save Ashley like she'd wanted someone to save her for the last three years.

A few days later, Emery was in her usual spot on Rachel's bed. "Okay, let's go over this again," Emery said, going through her iPad. "You have his address at work, you know his car. The first contact will be..."

"Putting a note on his car and giving him a number to call," Rachel finished, exasperated. They'd been over this plan at least a dozen times. "Then I'll do the first transaction with the first burner phone, but get a new one every few months."

"And you'll get cash from the pickup, but someone else will pick it up. The first being $10,000. Derrick said he'd help us?"

Rachel's faced cracked in two with a sly grin. Her crush had turned into quite the fount of knowledge for them. "Yes, he's going to help. He said he can send someone to pick up the money and that Phil would have no way to trace him or us."

"Okay, then you'll come back to Nashville and give me the cash." Emery closed the cover on her iPad. "And you'll check on Ashley all the time, right?"

"Yes." Rachel nodded emphatically. "Any sign of anything, I get in touch with you and we'll handle it."

"I'm leaving this here so you can get Derrick's friend to wipe it clean," Emery said, getting up and placing the iPad on Rachel's desk, which was covered in so many papers and books you couldn't tell what it looked like underneath. "Also, I have about $7,500 to start after paying your dad for helping me get out of jail."

"That's a lot of change, sister. Where'd you get all that money?"

"My birthday."

"Are you shitting me?" Rachel said, her eyebrows showing her disbelief.

"No, my mom's friends are rich and too busy to buy presents, so cash is the gift of choice."

Rachel shoved herself off her bed and walked to the desk, searching through the piles of paper. "I think our last day of community service is this weekend, and then you can go."

Emery nodded. "Your dad kicked ass getting us only two months of community service."

"Yeah, like I said he's like a rock star at his job."

Emery scrolled through her iPad looking at the calendar.

"Are you..." Rachel didn't look at her. "Are you okay to stay through then?"

Emery's eyes clouded with tears, Rachel's black and white printed comforter swirling together into a blob of gray. She nodded. She could do it. There was light at the end of her never ending tunnel. It was unexpected and it was named Rachel.

CHAPTER SIX.

Start with One Step

Nine weeks after she met Rachel, she was writing a note to her sister to put under her pillow before she left. Ashley was spending the night with one of her friends, so it would be easy to sneak out. Emery's bag was packed; her mother and Phil were out with friends at some sort of charity event her mother's best friend had put together. She and Rachel had everything planned.

Ashley, I'm so sorry to leave, but I have to go. I'm losing myself here. I know you probably don't understand and I'm not sure I ever want you to. If you need anything or need to get in touch with me, call Rachel. I put the number in a place only you will be able to find. Also, she'll find you. I hope you forgive me for leaving you here, but I won't survive if I stay. I'm not sure I can forgive myself. I love you. My love is unbreakable and I will get back to you, it may just take a while.

Em P.S. Do me a favor and lock your door at night, okay?

The emotions that swirled in her brain threatened to hold her there, in this prison. The only reason she was leaving was because Rachel had made her see she deserved a life. A life without rape, hate, and pain. She couldn't remember a day when she woke and didn't ache with the knowledge of what was happening to her. Emery tiptoed into her sister's room and put the note under Ashley's pink pillow. A lump formed in her throat, cutting off her ability to swallow, and she thought for a minute that she couldn't do it. The bundle of nerves that sat in her gut flipped and she felt bile rise in her throat, hot and acrid. She couldn't bear to leave her nine-year-old sister alone in this house. That was cruel. But Rachel's words formed behind her closed eyes.

She wouldn't survive if she stayed.

She swallowed her sorrow, regret, and any misgivings she had. Quietly closing Ashley's door, she padded back to her room and grabbed her bags. This was surreal. She was actually running away from home. She had to; he would never stop. She heard the chimes that meant a door opened in the house. Panic set in as she glanced down at her watch-they were home two hours early! It was do or die for her. She didn't have time to think or change her mind. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard it reverberated in her throat. Her eyes throbbed in time with her heartbeat and she made it down the back staircase and into the basement. She hadn't heard the chime again, meaning a door closed, so she threw open the door, hoping her timing was right, and ran. She sprinted away from the house holding her bags, full of the only things she had left in the world. Emery never looked back as she navigated her way through the backyard.

Reaching the fence, she threw the bags over and climbed slowly to the top. She swung her legs over and carefully dropped to the grass on the other side. Grabbing her bags, she continued to run. She finally took a breath when she reached the street behind her house. Then she pulled out the pre-paid phone she purchased and called Rachel.

"You chicken out?" Rachel asked as she answered the call.

"No," Emery gasped for air. "They came home early and I made a run for it. I'm on Glebe. Come get me and let's get out of here."

"Be there in five."

The call disconnected and Emery dropped her bags on the ground. She bent at the waist, putting her hands on her knees. She didn't know if it was from the adrenaline or the run, but she could hardly breathe. She closed her eyes and pictured her sweet, innocent sister sleeping in her pink bed. She prayed that her mother would protect Ashley. All she could do now was pray. She wasn't even sure she believed it would help, because she'd prayed for herself for three years and that hadn't resulted in anything.

Rachel pulled up in her crush, Derrick's, SUV and stopped in front of Emery. She was wearing all black and had a black wool cap on, her black hair hidden. She looked like a cartoon character, Emery thought. If she wasn't so afraid of cracking in two, she would find it humorous. If it weren't so damn tragic, Emery would have rolled on the ground laughing.

She opened the back, but pulled Emery in for a tight hug. "You have to go," Rachel whispered.

Emery nodded. If she said anything she'd burst into tears. Guilt permeated every cell of her body. She turned and looked in the direction of her house, then snuffed out the rising hysterics in her mind and got in the SUV. Rachel ran to her side and took off quickly.

"I have your new ID and everything in the bag in the back. Derrick got everything for us. I also got you copies of all the bank accounts I'll use to stick it to Phil."

Rachel was talking. Emery knew she was telling her important things, but all she could do was nod. She bounced her head up and down so many times she'd lost count. Rachel pulled onto 285 going toward 75 North. They'd already planned everything, but all she kept seeing was Phil entering her sister's room, her mother drinking through the entire thing.

"Go back," Emery said.

Rachel turned her head slowly to look at Emery.

"Get off here, Rachel. Get off the highway and turn around."

"Em..."

"No! I can't! Ashley..."

"Emery, I'm not taking you back." Rachel's voice was calm.

"The fuck you're not!" Emery reached over and grabbed the wheel, trying to move the car toward the exit so that they could turn around.

"EMERY!" Rachel screamed and took back control of the car.

"Rachel, I can't leave her. I can't. She's so innocent. She's so perfect. I couldn't live if anything happened to her. I couldn't."

Rachel was silent.

"I need to be there. I need to be the one he..."

Rachel kept her foot on the accelerator, going as fast as she could away from Atlanta. "You really want to do that? Go back and let him rape you?"

"I have to..."

"No. No you don't."

"Rachel..."

"Emery, you are fucking sixteen, this isn't on you. Your fucking mother should be there. She should take care of your sister. This is not your burden. Your sister will be fine. You want me to anonymously give your mom a head's up? I'll do that. You want me to cut his dick off, that I'll do too, but I'm NOT taking you back there and watching you disappear."

Silence.

"I won't do it." Rachel shook her head, emphasizing her position.

Emery let tears run down her cheeks for her sister and for the miracle of Rachel. Without her, she would have given up.

"I'm Emily Sanders," Emery said aloud, breaking the quiet of the SUV.

A ghost of a smile skated across Rachel's lips.

"I'm eighteen and I'm going to be attending college online," she recited.

"You're moving in with my cousin, Noah Reed." Rachel turned the radio down. "You are also gorgeous and have perfect boobs."

"Ooh, Emily has perfect boobs? Did Derrick get those for me too?"

"Take a look at your boobs."

Emery looked at her chest, but didn't respond.

"You don't get it because you don't look at yourself and you try to hide everything," Rachel pointed out, "but Emily won't be like that Emery. You need to remember that."

Emery sighed, but then bubbles of anticipation filled her soul. She could be anyone she wanted to if she didn't have to be herself. "I need to get my GED first," Emery planned out loud. She wasn't finishing high school in a classroom, but she'd already bought books about the test and she thought she could pass the equivalency exam now.

"Yeah, but that shouldn't be a concern. Once you do that, we'll get you in to one of those online colleges."

"Do you think I can just disappear?"

"I think so. Derrick was able to get us everything you need."

"Did..." Emery started and then looked out the window for a minute, contemplating her words. "Did you tell Derrick...everything?"

Rachel's raven hair fell across her eye and Emery couldn't see her expression. "I had to Em, we need him. I need him to help me make all of this happen."

Emery nodded, understanding. "I sort of feel like I'm in a Lifetime movie or something." Emery kept fighting the urge to look back to ensure they weren't being followed. Neither her mother nor her stepfather even knew Rachel, and she'd left her phone in her room. She cleared her throat in an attempt to eradicate all the warring thoughts from her mind. She needed to focus on the here and now, her future. "You know, you need to hang with better people," Emery commented, smiling weakly as she looked at the ID.

"Well, Derrick is one of my father's best clients. If he's good enough for him..." she trailed off with a wicked smirk on her face.

"So, in four hours I'll be Emily Sanders. No one will find me," she said, repeating this information again so it sunk in. She looked out the window as the lights of the buildings passed in a blur. "I'll be safe," she whispered.

"Yes, you'll be safe. My cousin is a football player at Vanderbilt and will kick anyone's ass for you. I've told him to."

"Is this on your mom or dad's side?"

"Mom's." Rachel looked in the rearview mirror to inspect her lipstick, running one finger under her lower lip. "My dad just has the one sister and she only has one daughter. She lives in DC."

"Are you close?"

"No. No one is close to Stella Murphy."

"Why?" Emery asked puzzled.

"She's the Stella Murphy, Em."

Realization dawned on Emery; she hadn't connected the two before. "Oh, shit really?"

Stella Murphy had been the only survivor in an attack on some government office building a year or so ago, and then she became a celebrity. Emery remembered watching her interview on TV with her mother.